As well as describing the actual situation with regard to obsolete pesticides in Africa and the Near East, case-studies presented by representatives of regional organizations for locust control also provide some background to the causes of accumulation. Dr Karrar, Director of the Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa (DLCO-EA), was unable to attend the meeting, but submitted a paper.
E. Byaruhanga, Director, IRLCO-CSA
There are nine member countries of the
International Red Locust Control Organization for Central and
Southern Africa (IRLCO-CSA), namely, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi,
Mozambique, Swaziland, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania,
Zambia and Zimbabwe. The problem of obsolete and unwanted pesticides
within IRLCO-CSA member countries is serious and requires urgent
action, for which assistance from outside will be needed.
Over the years, IRLCO-CSA acquired various
insecticides for use against locusts. Some of these became superseded
by new groups of more efficient pesticides and were withdrawn from
use. However, these pesticides were not disposed of, but were simply
stored away pending decisions as to what was to be done with them.
This practice continued for years and in due course IRLCO-CSA found
itself with huge quantities of obsolete pesticides. A rough survey of
obsolete stocks kept by IRLCO-CSA found that Zambia has 10 000 kg of
DDT, 11 000 kg of lindane and granules and nearly 40 000 kg of
endosulfan. Mozambique has similarly huge stocks of unwanted
parathion, DDT, toxaphene, etc. The list is long and comprehensive
surveys are needed to determine exact amounts. The task will be
difficult and expensive.
IRLCO-CSA's obsolete stocks also include up to 70
000 litres of DNOC, most of which, with assistance from the German
Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), has been collected from
various locations in Tanzania and Zambia, repacked and stored pending
transportation for disposal. The intention is to incinerate the DNOC
in a cement kiln in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania.
The obsolete pesticides kept by IRLCO-CSA member
countries are in scattered locations within each country. As in most
other countries in Africa, stocks were originally imported for
migratory pest control, crop spraying, animal dipping, vector
control, public health purposes and so on, and very often, they were
donated by outside donor agencies, in good faith. Unfortunately, when
donations were received, no proper assessments were made concerning
the needs of the recipient countries in dealing with pesticides over
either the short or long term. Pesticides were donated in excess of
the amounts required, were not suitable to solve the particular
problem or were supplied in inappropriate containers which made the
in-country distribution process more difficult. Containers were often
of poor quality and could not withstand prolonged periods of storage.
Since these problems were not considered sufficiently at the time of
donation, the IRLCO-CSA countries are now left with large stocks of
obsolete pesticides.
As with any other unwanted commodity, no one takes
care of obsolete pesticides. Moreover, the facilities and means for
safe keeping are not available and in some cases stocks are kept
unsecured, unsorted and in a very haphazard fashion. Sometimes
pesticides are stored out in the open and containers may leak. The
people responsible for pesticide stores are not well trained to
appreciate the possible dangers both to themselves and to the
environment and, in any case, do not have the means at their disposal
to solve such problems.
A. Munir Karrar, Director, DLCO-EA
Introduction. In the 1960s, DLCO-EA
introduced spraying as the preferred and standard pesticide delivery
technique versus baiting and dusting for the control of desert locust
outbreaks in Eastern Africa. DLCO-EA used the ultra-low-volume (ULV)
methods for spraying small doses of oil-based BHC formulations and
similar formulations of dieldrin were also used extensively for the
control of locusts. The use of these two pesticides was justified for
economic reasons and for their effectiveness in the control of hopper
bands. They remain effective for long periods and cover extensive
areas of infestation, but, because of their inherent tendency to
cause adverse effects in the environment, both BHC and dieldrin were
then banned from use in locust control operations.
Over the years, DLCO-EA has acquired large
quantities of dieldrin and BHC either by direct purchasing or through
donations. Leftovers of both have accumulated in various strategic
stores of member countries because the cost of environmentally safe
disposal methods is too high for DLCO-EA.
DLCO-EA pesticide stocks identified as obsolete
currently include BHC, dieldrin and malathion, which is estimated at
138 795 litres.
The Plant Protection Directorate (PPD) in Eritrea
is believed to have a total of about 59 300 litres of liquid
pesticides and 20 000 kg of powder which need to be checked for their
identity and viability. Some 39 200 litres are scattered across the
country.
In order to have reliable figures, inventories need
to be taken from all member countries of DLCO-EA (Tanzania, Kenya,
Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, the Sudan and Djibouti).
Djibouti, in particular, might have unidentified large quantities of
obsolete pesticides.
Most of the storage sites under DLCO-EA control are
located in areas of very high temperature and humidity which affect
the chemical, physical and biological properties of insecticides.
This has necessitated regular checking and monitoring of the
insecticides kept in member countries. Results of some analyses
indicated that accelerated degradation of the active ingredients is
quite common and pesticides, although unfit for pest control, are
very hazardous to the environment and human life. Furthermore there
are a huge number of containers that have deteriorated as a result of
corrosion caused by climatic factors and the impact of the chemical
pesticides themselves. The high cost of new, good-quality containers
has made it impossible to avoid keeping pesticides in older and
unsafe drums.
DLCO-EA needs funds and technical assistance for
the disposal of the obsolete insecticides and empty containers
currently causing problems in its member countries. There is also a
need for improved storage facilities and better management to ensure
the safety of pesticides in the future.
Storage facilities and the need for
disposal. Most stores are very old and overstocked and many lack
the basic facilities which are essential for safety and control of
the health hazards associated with pesticides. The design, size and
construction of stores vary greatly from place to place and most do
not meet standard requirements. Consequently, inadequate storage
conditions have greatly accelerated the deterioration of pesticides
and pesticide containers. Obsolete pesticides occupy valuable storage
space which can be used for other purposes or for new, safer
pesticide stocks.
The Council of Ministers of the DLCO-EA adopted the
recommendation of the 21st Session of its Technical Committee (15 to
19 May 1989) for safe disposal of obsolete pesticides in the region,
but the means and the technical expertise is lacking for the
recommendation to be implemented.
High-temperature incineration is the preferred
disposal method, but the costs involved put it out of the reach of
most developing countries.
|
The need for expertise Disposal cannot be left in the hands of people who lack basic knowledge of the chemistry of pesticides. Application of the basic principles of engineering that govern incineration is necessary to manage effectively disposal by means of incineration. Methods such as burning, burying, chemical treatments and landfilling, without adequate knowledge, supervision and experience of experts should be avoided. Otherwise the consequences could be dangerous, more complicated, hazardous and, above all, much more expensive. The best alternative is to seek the advice of an expert and to comply strictly to technical guidelines that are internationally accepted. |
M.G. Butrous, Plant Protection Directorate, Sudan
As well as being responsible for plant
protection, the PPD in the Sudan also plays an important role in the
control of locusts, rats, birds, water hyacinth and stored product
pests. Over the years, a large variety of pesticides have been
imported into the country either as donations or through procurement
by the government. The use of pesticides for locust control over the
last 30 years has resulted in the accumulation of huge quantities of
obsolete pesticides.
In 1987-88 and 1988-89 large quantities of liquid
wastes were incinerated by Shell Chemical Company of the Sudan in a
burner that had been evaluated and recommended for the purpose. It
was estimated, however, that the burner was only capable of
destroying up to 80 percent of any liquid pesticides. Incineration
was therefore to take place in remote and uninhabited areas and only
in the months of November to March when the direction of winds are
predictable.
The total quantity of obsolete pesticides held by
PPD and the different irrigation schemes in the Sudan is estimated at
760.38 tonnes and 547.6 m3 of contaminated soils. Obsolete pesticides
include 300 cylinders of methylbromide and 8.82 tonnes of poisonous
bait. In addition, there are an estimated 7 785 empty 200-litre drums
and 2 302 empty 25-litre drums. These figures do not include obsolete
stocks in the south of the Sudan or stocks held by other public
entities or private companies.
With the exception of some stocks which were
rehabilitated with assistance from the Government of the Netherlands,
most pesticide stores are unsuitably constructed and often located
close to habitation areas and/or water courses. Fences are either
poorly constructed or totally lacking. Often there is little or no
security to prevent access for unauthorized adults, children or
animals. Electricity, water, emergency shower facilities,
fire-fighting equipment, protective clothing and first aid facilities
are not available in almost all the sites. Stacking of pesticide
drums in all locations is either poor or inappropriate.
Although the Pesticide Disposal Committee has
approved incineration by means of a mobile burner as the best way of
disposing of liquid pesticides, since January 1992, Shell Chemical
Company has been unable to transfer its burner to the Sudan Gezira
Board (the largest irrigated scheme in the Sudan) because the
efficiency of the burner was found to be far below an acceptable
standard and it lacked flame-gas treatment devices. Because the
burner could no longer be used and owing to the high cost of
environmentally sound alternatives, it was decided that the pesticide
wastes, kept in various scattered locations should be decanted,
repacked and kept secured under local storage conditions until
alternative disposal means could be identified. In collaboration with
authorities from the Ministry of Health, some sites were selected for
the purpose of continued storage.
A survey conducted by PPD, found unsecured empty
containers of different sizes and ages scattered on open ground at
most sites, particularly in the irrigated schemes. It was found that
empty containers were usually disposed of in one of the following
ways:
To improve the situation, the following were proposed:
Note. Some of the above recommended methods for the disposal of containers do not agree with accepted standard practices of disposal of wastes or hazardous substances. Pesticide containers must be crushed immediately following use of their contents and subsequently destroyed by means of incineration. Empty containers should never be sold to the public for public use, nor should they be buried or introduced to open burning. Drained out liquids should be considered as toxic wastes and should therefore neither be spilled or poured into soils. Both drained out liquids and containers should be disposed of in compliance with the standard procedures and containers can be recycled if appropriate recycling facilities exist. (A. Wodageneh)
A. Wodageneh, Project Coordinator
The total quantity of obsolete pesticides in
non-Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
countries is estimated by the project to be well over 100 000 tonnes.
The estimate for Africa in 1992 was 20 000-30 000 tonnes. However, in
order to have detailed, complete and more reliable figures concerning
obsolete pesticides, particularly in Africa and the Near East, FAO in
cooperation with its representation offices in various countries and
with the governments of the countries concerned has begun conducting
surveys in over 60 countries in Africa and the Near East (see Annex
1). The survey was initiated in late August 1994 and will continue
until completed. Inventories compiled are shown in Table 1. Note
should be taken that figures in the column concerning estimated
quantities of contaminants, are calculated by adding percentages to
quantities of obsolete, unwanted and/or banned pesticides identified
under each condition.
The inventories in Table 1 may increase or decrease
according to further investigation of the situation, the possibility
of further accumulation of obsolete pesticides and developments
regarding contaminants and assessment of disposal companies at time
of disposal.
Figures for the Congo and Malawi are incomplete and
based on results from a limited number of locations.
Disposal operations are neither easy to organize
nor simple to operate and the costs of incineration are normally too
high for the countries concerned. Generally both technical and
financial assistance will be required.
TABLE 1 - Summary of results of survey of obsolete pesticides
|
Country |
No. of sites |
Varieties of pesticide |
Quantities |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Benin |
20 |
21 |
67 281 |
67 |
|
Botswana |
1 |
7 |
25 256 |
26 |
|
Burkina Faso |
24 |
55 |
53 571 |
54 |
|
Burundi |
2 |
5 |
57 690 |
58 |
|
Cameroon |
20 |
10 |
225 206 |
225 |
|
Congo |
7 |
1 |
1 793 |
2 |
|
Equatorial Guinea |
22 |
23 |
145 616 |
146 |
|
Eritrea |
29 |
24 |
203 214 |
203 |
|
Ethiopia |
143 |
67 |
425 786 |
426 |
|
Gambia |
7 |
Various 5* |
23 250 |
23 |
|
Iraq |
16 |
5 |
232 207 |
232 |
|
Lebanon |
Various |
Various |
9 300 |
9 |
|
Madagascar |
4 |
14 |
75 749 |
76 |
|
Malawi |
11 |
27 |
126 893 |
127 |
|
Mauritania |
11 |
10 |
257 167 |
257 |
|
Morocco |
25 |
176 |
2 265 040 |
2 265 |
|
Mozambique |
48 |
127 |
442 880 |
443 |
|
Namibia |
1 |
1 |
245 000 |
245 |
|
Niger |
4 |
25 |
51 598 |
52 |
|
Qatar |
1 |
7 |
5 363 |
5 |
|
Sào Tome and Principe |
1 |
4 |
3 420 |
3 |
|
Senegal |
8 |
Various 21* |
260 000 |
260 |
|
Swaziland |
2 |
35 |
9 292 |
9 |
|
Zanzibar |
Disposed of 270 tonnes by the Netherlands Government | |||
|
Togo |
7 |
21 |
84 792 |
85 |
|
Tunisia |
21 |
Various 5* |
870 224 |
870 |
|
Yemen |
22 |
129 |
180 000 |
180 |
|
Zambia |
5 |
8 |
299 403 |
299 |
|
Zaire |
5 |
9 |
590 558 |
591 |
|
Total |
467 |
|
7 237 459 |
7 237 |
* Various applies to a selection of unidentifiable pesticides